Book review: 'The Book of Duels' absorbing, complex

8:05 PM,
Mar. 22, 2014

Written by

Michael Kardos
Special to The Clarion-Ledger

"The Book of Duels," Michael Garriga's book of flash fiction, spins on a simple, intriguing premise: 33 deadly duels, narrated by the duelers themselves in first-person interior monologues.

Actually, each story is told from three perspectives, including the winner and loser of the duel, plus a third character who witnesses the confrontation - typically someone with a vested interest in the outcome. This third perspective is a deft inclusion that showcases the author's creativity and enlarges the book's scope.

Garriga, who lived in Gulfport for 17 years and now resides in Cleveland, ...